


A Blue Winter Rose

by 17daysgreys



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Betrayal, F/F, F/M, Fear, Jon Snow is a Targaryen, Modern Era, Pregnancy, Sister-Sister Relationship, Teen Pregnancy, Teenage Drama, Teenage Rebellion, Unplanned Pregnancy, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-11
Updated: 2018-03-27
Packaged: 2019-02-13 12:57:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 17,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12984561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/17daysgreys/pseuds/17daysgreys
Summary: Arya was never one to catch boys attention, not like her sister, Sansa. But when she finds herself pregnant by her secret boyfriend, Aegon Targareyn she risks herself and her family's safety if she reveals their relationship. Add on top of that, a best friend who's in love with her, a brother who's a secret Targareyn, and a sister who may not like boys as much as Arya originally thought.





	1. Chapter 1

 

 

Ages/Grades:

Arya: 16/ Junior

Aegon: 19/ Senior (held back a year)

Sansa: 18/ Senior

Gendry: 19/ Senior

Hot Pie: 17/ Junior

Shireen: 16/ sophomores

Bran: 15/ freshmen

Rickon: 11

Robb: 19/ freshmen in college

Jon: 19/ freshmen in college

 

* * *

 

High school isn’t for everyone. Some people; like Arya’s sister Sansa thrive in the cutthroat, dog-eat-dog world of high school popularity and politics. But Arya could care less if Magarey Tyrell started dating Joffrey Baratheon just two weeks after he and Sansa broke up. She cared little for what other people thought of her and her actions. She’d never be as pretty as Sansa, or as poised. She would never be as popular as her brothers either, both of who dominated Winterfell High when they attended. Jon, Robb, and Theon all graduated last year and attended Winterfell University, none of them dared to venture too far from home, for which Arya was grateful.  

She was Arya, the grey-eyed girl with short-mousey hair that barely grazed her shoulders, a face that was too long, and a body that rivaled a twelve-year old boys. She was the least memorable Stark at this school and she liked it that way. She didn’t need nor did she want to be a part of the popular crowd, the fact that she wasn’t invited to Jeyne Poole’s Christmas party did not make her upset. While Sansa groveled at Jeyne’s feet for days in order to receive an invitation.

Arya thrived at fencing. She fenced at The House of Black and White after school four times a week. She was the best female fencer in Winterfell, even better than the seniors. It was also where she met her boyfriend, Aegon. They met last two years ago, when she was a freshmen and he was a sophomore and hit it off after she and him spared. He hadn’t realized she was a girl, so he actually challenged her, and when he lost he was pleasantly surprised that she was a girl. He asked her out for coffee after practice and they’ve been dating ever since.

However, no one knows they’re dating. At first Arya wanted to keep it a secret because she didn’t want her family to make fun of her or worse pressure Aegon. So, she kept it to herself. Then Sansa made fun of her sometime last spring and said that no guy would ever find Arya attractive. Unfortunately Sansa said this at family dinner and everyone erupted in laughter, all except Ned Stark who had looked at his daughter with pity. So, since then she has kept her dating life to herself, her family does not need to be privy to everything she does.

Aegon ran after her, she had just finished practice and was heading to the locker rooms to change out of her sweaty clothes.

“Hey,” he huffed, “I’m done early, do you wanna come over to my place?”

“Sure, let me text my mom and let her know. Is Lemore making us dinner or no?”

“Nope,” he smirked, “We’ll have the place all to ourselves.” He licked his lips intensely, enticing her, and she knew she was weak. As much as she hated to admit it, she was exactly like Sansa when it came to men and their touch, weak.

She changed as quick as she could and hoped in Aegon’s car. His house was a bit further from school, since his foster parents lived in Wintertown; that was another reason Arya hadn’t told anyone about Aegon, he was a Targareyn.

It was the story that shook the North. The heir to Targareyn Corporation married with two kids at the time had an affair with the teenaged Lyanna Stark, daughter of Rickard Stark C.E.O. of Stark industries. A mass company battle ensued and at the end of the day, Rhaegar, his wife Elia, their daughter Rhaenys, and Lyanna were dead. Arya knows little of the time known as ‘The Rebellion’ seeing as her father refuses to say anything about it except that Robert Baratheon rightfully won the shares of Targareyn Corp. and that the dead no longer speak so it be best to not ask questions. Aegon only survived because he was saved by Varys, and has been raised by Jon ‘Old Griff’ Connington and Septa Lemore. Arya is the only one in Winterfell who knows that Aegon is Aegon Targareyn, heir to Targareyn Corp, not Griff Connington, blue haired boy who’s a bit too good with a sword.

They hurried up to his bedroom as soon as they got to his place. It’d been a little over a week since they’d been able to be together and her body was singing for his touch.

“So,” he asked interrupting their kissing, “Where’d you tell your mom you were at this time?”

“Hot Pie’s.”

She leaned into his touch, as he started to run his hands through her shoulder length hair. His lips were moving in sync with hers as he stuck is tongue down her throat. She couldn’t help but moan. She could feel his hardness, pressing into her front and she quickly undid his pant’s button while he helped her take off her top and bra.

“I missed this,” he said, as he stroked her hard nipple with his thumb.

“Me too,” she moaned at his touch.

“Shit, I don’t have a condom,” he said.

“I don’t care,” she was huffing her body needed him. Her hips arched and she gasped loudly when he thrust himself inside of her. She could feel him coming inside of her, could feel him reach his peak as she reached hers. If sex was meant to be a sin then why did they make it feel so good?

They finished and laid in each other’s arms, he stroked her hair and whispered, “I love you,” and she replied the same. Because she did love him; she only wished she could tell her family but she’d be happy to hold onto this secret for a little while longer.

 

* * *

 

_2 months later_

 

“Arya, come on, breakfast is getting cold.” Her mother shouted.

She stubbornly got out of bed, she’d felt nauseous the past few days and wanted nothing more than to sleep and forget that she was an actual human being. However, as soon as she got downstairs and she smelled eggs she could feel last night’s dinner coming up. Quickly placing a hand over her mouth as she ran to the bathroom and threw up, she began to realize exactly why she’d been sick.

“Arya are you okay?” Her mother asked.

“Yeah,” she said, “must’ve eaten something weird last night.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure,” Arya smiled, hoping not to catch another whiff of eggs.

She texted Aegon as soon as she got to school telling him that they needed to talk. He found her at her locker before first period talking to Gendry.

“Did you get Mr. Lannister’s homework done last night?” Gendry asked Arya. He was two years older than her, but since his mom died when he was in second grade he was held back a year. Arya and him were best friends, pretty much inseparable, and they told each other everything. Everything except for the fact that he was in love with her and she was completely oblivious to it, not to mention she was seeing someone else and potentially pregnant with his baby.

“I had some other stuff on my mind,” she answered quickly.

“Arya, are you okay? You seem really off,” Gendry mentioned.

“I’m fine. Nothing to worry about,” she could see Aegon approaching, “I need to go talk to Griff about something for fencing. See you at lunch?”

“Sure, sure,” Gendry solemnly replied.

She walked up to Aegon quickly, guiding him in the opposite direction of her locker.

“Not here,” she stated, she could see Sansa staring at her and wondering why on earth Griff Connington was talking to her little sister.

Arya pulled Aegon into a supply closet, not really the subtlest thing and it would surely cause people to start talking, but she didn’t care.

“So, what is it? You sounded super worried in your texts. Also, why do you keep hanging out with the Baratheon bastard, you know how I feel about him.”

Arya just rolled her eyes, men and their egos, “He’s my friend; he’s been my friend since before I met you. I’m not going to cut him out because his dad and yours fought over my aunt like twenty years ago.”

“I’m your boyfriend, don’t I get a say?”

“Hate to break it to you, but no,” she leaned in to kiss him.

“Arya, your texts,” he reminded her, breaking their kiss suddenly.

“Okay, I don’t know how to say this, but I think I’m pregnant.”

“What?” He looked at her shocked.

“I’m late.”

“How late?” He asked worried.

“8 weeks,” she confessed, “And before you yell, usually my period is irregular so I thought nothing of it until I threw up this morning and then I knew.”

“Have you taken a test?”

“No.”

“Okay, why don’t we go to the clinic after school, I’ll drive you and we can see if you’re pregnant or not.”

“You’re not mad?” She asked.

“No, I’m just scared. But I’m here Arya, I love you, you know that.”

“I love you too.”

They left the supply closet, which didn’t go unnoticed by half of the student body. Gendry stared at Arya with a confused look on his face, he could tell her lips looked a bit swollen and she looked as though she had been crying. Sansa stared at her little sister too, something wasn’t right and she was going to get to the bottom of it. While Margaery Tyrell simply had a cunning smile spread across her face, she looked at Arya and winked and Arya wished for once in her life that she had the power to be invisible.

Nothing seemed appetizing to Arya at lunch, so she picked out a simple salad and went to sit at her usual table with Gendry, Hot Pie, Weasel, and Shireen. However, Gendry and Hot Pie were still in line getting their lunches, Hot Pie of course had to argue with the kitchen staff over the quality of the burger he was getting and so the boys were taking a bit longer. Only Shireen was sitting at their table, nose buried deep in her book, and her dark hair falling into her face to cover her burn scars.

“You know you’re the talk of the entire school,” Shireen joked as Arya sat down, setting her book on the table.

Arya growled, “What now?”

“Don’t act like you don’t know,” she scolded, “You have the rumor mill a running, Miss Arya Stark. It’s not every morning the school’s biggest tomboy comes out of a supply closet with none other than Griff Connington. That boy is practically known by his STI count.” _A lie_ , Arya thought, Griff had only slept with her the past two years.

“People are reading too much into things. Griff and I are friends from fencing, you know that.”

“Friends don’t pull friends into supply closets with worried looks on their faces,” Shireen chastised.

Arya huffed and pulled her hair into a messy bun, for some reason the room was getting a bit too hot and then she caught a whiff of Shireen’s lunch. An egg salad sandwich on rye and suddenly Arya felt sick just like this morning. She got up quickly and ran to the nearest trashcan. Aegon was looking at her, he looked as if he was going to get up from his table with Duck and Dany to go and help her, but she glared at him warning him not to come over. Sansa looked at her sister too. Arya couldn’t tell if Sansa was annoyed with her for getting sick in the middle of the cafeteria or concerned, but Arya couldn’t will herself to care.

“You good?” Shireen asked as Arya returned to the table, now Gendry and Hot Pie were there with their lunches.

“Never better,” Arya spat out as she wiped her mouth with her arm and stuck a piece of gum in her mouth.

“You getting sick?” Gendry asked with a mouthful of burger in his mouth.

“Yeah,” she breathed out slowly, “I think so. I should probably slow down a bit, but fencing finals are coming up next month and Syrio has been training me like mad. I barely get enough time to remember my own name, let alone to get a proper night’s sleep.”

“You slated to win this year?” Hot Pie chimed in.

She was slated to win; she was the best fencer in the entire region, boy or girl. But if the tests came back positive she’d have to quit fencing. She hoped to Gods she wasn’t pregnant, that this feeling of a life inside of her was all in her head, but she knew differently. She could feel it stirring inside of her, this little life. There was no denying her fear; she’s only seventeen and her boyfriend nineteen. They’re in high school; they have no business having a baby, especially them. This baby could cause her father’s life to be in danger; her family’s welfare could potentially be at stake, all because she decided to sleep with Aegon Targareyn.

“You sound like you’re asking me a question,” Arya joked, “Do you not think I can win, Hot Pie?”

“Would never suggest it,” he held his hands up in defense.

“Good,” she laughed, and the whole table erupted with laughter as well, but Gendry kept looking at her with a solemn gaze. He had seen how her face fell when Hot Pie asked her about fencing; there definitely was something she was not telling them.

 

As soon as school let out, Arya and Aegon headed out to his car together.

“Hey, isn’t that Arya with Griff,” Magarey pointed out to Sansa, “I didn’t know they knew each other.”

“No, neither did I,” Sansa replied, taking in the scene. Arya had barely mentioned Griff, even though he was the captain of the boy’s fencing team. Whenever she mentioned him Arya only rolled her eyes and complained about the patriarchy and how she found the whole separation of boys and girls fencing to be robust and outdated and that if she fought Griff she’d beat him. But other than the occasional complaint about Griff’s form or the fact that he was late to practice once again, Sansa had heard little about the blue-haired Tyroshi native from her sister. She didn’t even know the two of them talked until she saw Arya pull him into that supply closet this morning.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say they’re a couple,” Magarey laughed and now more than ever the wheels in Sansa’s head were turning.

“Arya with a boy?” Sansa asked, eyes wide, “Now that’s a sight I’d like to see.”

“I think you’ve got your wish,” Margaery laughed, as Aegon and Arya got into his car together.

Sansa quick texted her sister to ask her where she was going, but unfortunately was left on read, where on earth was Arya going?

Arya sat in the front seat of Aegon’s car staring at the sonogram in her hands; she was ten weeks pregnant. It all seamed surreal. She was officially having a baby at seventeen. How was she going to do this? How was she going to tell her friends, her family, oh dear Gods, her parents? All she can see is her father’s disappointed gaze, his ‘little wolf’ pregnant.

“Hey, we’re gonna be okay,” he grabbed her hand, “I promise.”

“How are you so calm right now?”

“Because you’re you and I’m me and if anyone can handle this, it’s us.”

“I love you,” she kissed him and got out of the car, today was the first day he actually dropped her off in front of the house. She hadn’t realized her mistake when she walked in the door and her Sansa was sitting in the living room gaping at her.

“Care to explain why you were just making out with Griff Connington?” Sansa shouted, she had been watching TV in the living room and just happened to stare out the window when she noticed Griff’s car pull in front of their house. Luckily it was still a bit early in the afternoon and no one else was home. Cat was running errands with Rickon, Bran was at the Reed’s house, Ned was still at work, and her older brother’s thankfully were too swamped with exams and their own lives at University to come home for dinner.

“I was not making out with him,” Arya huffed.

“I saw you two this morning,” Sansa said, “You two looked awfully chummy.”

“I know him from fencing, Sansa, of course we’re chummy.”

“Doesn’t explain why he kissed you, “Sansa growled.

“Oh grow up Sansa,” Arya snapped, “Boys are allowed to kiss me. Some of them even want to kiss me,” she stared at Sansa hoping her words would sting.

“So are you two dating?” Sansa asked.

Arya and Aegon hadn’t discussed if she’d tell her family about their relationship. She knew that she’d have to tell them who fathered her baby inevitably, but she had never considered telling them about her and Aegon until now.

“Yes.” And Arya walked upstairs to her room. Before long she heard incessant knocking and knew it had to be Sansa.

Arya begrudgingly got up and opened the door before she could even mutter ‘hello’ Sansa barreled her way into the room.

“Oh my Gods Arya, that is so exciting. How long have you been seeing each other? How’d he ask you out? Where was your first date?”

Now, to be honest or to not be honest, “I’ve been seeing him for a while.”

“Define a while.”

“Um,” Arya bit her lip.

“A month,” Sansa drawled out looking at Arya who just shook her head, “Two months,” again no, “Three months,” Arya shook her head a third time, “Gods Arya how long?”

“Two years.”

“You’ve been seeing him two years and haven’t told any of us? Why?” Sansa shouted so loud that her entire family could probably hear, “Were you actually going to tell any of us about Griff if we didn’t see him kiss you?”

Arya gripped Sansa’s wrist and looked up at her sister with tears in her eyes and suddenly Sansa’s gaze softened, “Arya,” Sansa quietly said as Arya handed her the sonogram.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do,” Arya cried.

Sansa simply held Arya as she sobbed into her shoulder; for there was nothing else she could offer her little sister. She had no idea how she was going to help her out of this mess.

“Oh Arya,” Sansa sighed; she was never good at reading Arya. That was always Jon. He would know exactly what to say to Arya right now. He’d be able to calm her fears and whisper sweet nothings in her ear telling her that everything was going to be okay.

 

Arya was four and half months pregnant and she had just begun to show. She had been wearing big sweatshirts and leggings and for the most part no one could tell she was pregnant. But she was only 5’2” and one hundred pounds of pure muscle; eventually her body would betray her and her pregnancy would become obvious. Luckily for her, Griff’s parents had been incredibly accepting of her pregnancy. Old Griff had been disappointed and growled over the danger of their relationship, but it wasn’t anything Arya hadn’t heard before. He hated her the moment Aegon brought her home, she reminded him too much of Lyanna, the aunt everyone told her she represented. But she wasn’t a foolish girl who fell in love with a married man, while dating her brother’s best friend. She was Arya Stark, she-wolf, world-class fencer; a man would not determine her fate.

His stepmother, Septa Lemore or Ashara Dayne was a gift from the Gods for Arya. She had spoken to Syrio Forel for Arya, explaining the situation and asking for discretion. She had made sure Arya had the proper vitamins and sent Aegon to school with prepackaged lunches for Arya to ensure that she was feeding both herself and the baby well. Septa Lemore also took Arya shopping, buying her the necessary maternity clothes and other things for the baby. The Connington’s even went so far as to have a nursery set up for Arya and the baby, just in case. Arya hadn’t even thought about telling her family yet for fear of their reaction one, but mainly because her child would be in danger as soon as the father was revealed.

“It looks lovely,” Arya beamed as Aegon showed her the nursery Septa Lemore had put together. It wasn’t anything too fancy; there was a simple white crib with a stuffed direwolf in the corner of it. The baby’s name hung in block letters over the crib, making it even more real the situation she was in.

“I’m glad you like it,” he smiled, “I wanted it to feel like home.”

“It does,” she leaned in to kiss him, “You’ve been absolutely wonderful to me. I don’t deserve it.”

“It’s my fault we’re in this mess,” he sighed.

“No it’s not,” she argued, “I begged you to keep going.”

“No, not that.” He nervously wiped his brow, “If I wasn’t Aegon Targareyn, if I was only Griff Connington you wouldn’t be so worried about your family, about her safety, we’d be normal teenagers who fucked up and got pregnant. We wouldn’t have your family’s entire wealth and business on our shoulders, nor my families.”

“Yeah,” she looked at him intensely, “But I wouldn’t have fallen in love with Griff Connington. He’d be a bit too boring.”

“He’d be simpler.”

“I don’t want simple.”

“No you don’t,” he laughed as she attacked him with her tongue. The added sexual attraction was a welcome bonus to pregnancy to which Aegon never complained.

“Arya, Aegon, come on we’re going out to dinner,” Septa Lemore called from downstairs. Once a month, the four of them made a point to go out to dinner together. It helped Lemore and Old Griff to keep tabs on Arya and Aegon’s relationship, plus Arya couldn’t deny a free meal. She texted her mom and told her she’d be out with Gendry and that she’d be home by 10:00, to which her mother replied ‘Have fun’.

Arya was incredibly lucky that Sansa hadn’t said anything about her pregnancy to her parents. Sansa had only mentioned it a few times, simply asking if Arya was feeling okay and if she needed anything. But other than that, for once, her older sister kept her mouth shut and Arya could not be more grateful.

“We’re going to a place just outside Wintertown, Arya you should wear that dress we just picked out for you,” Lemore suggested.

Arya hated dresses, but the restaurant was fancy and Arya didn’t feel like arguing with Lemore. She begrudgingly put on the black cocktail dress that did little to hide her belly, in fact it accentuated it. It was early December, so Arya put on black tights, some heels, and her black leather jacket. A swipe of mascara and a bit of eyeliner and she wad ready.

“You look stunning,” Aegon complimented, but there’s something that would complete the ensemble,” he joked as he placed a necklace around her neck. It had the three-headed dragon symbol on it, “Old Griff told me that we might be able to tell your parents soon. The shares of Targareyn Corp. have officially been transferred to me.”

“Really?”

Since she found out she was pregnant, ‘Old Griff’ had been working day and night to figure out the Targareyn Company shares. Only Aegon and his Aunt Dany survived the Rebellion and now that they were both of age, they could take over the company shares. When Rhaegar died, Ned Stark had abdicated the shares of Targareyn Corp. and instead gave them to his friend Robert Baratheon. However, Robert passed away six years ago and instead of the shares going to Aegon and Dany, because they were in hiding, they went to Cersi Lannister and her children.

Old Griff decided to investigate the line of succession for the company and he found that Cersi’s children were illegitimate and therefore had no right to the company. If Aegon wanted, he could press his claim and reveal himself to society and take his proper place as the C.E.O. of Targareyn Corp.

“Do you want them? I wouldn’t stop you if you wanted to claim your birthright.”

“I want you,” he answered, “But I also want to go a day without being called Griff. You’d be the practical queen of Westeros, do you think you could handle that?”

“If you’re by my side, I’ll be fine.”

“Good,” he kissed her, “I love you Arya Stark. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

“Me too.”

“Marry me,” he softly said into her ear as his hands gripped her hair and she could feel the rise and fall of his chest on hers.

She broke their kiss quickly, “What?”

“Marry me,” he said firmly, “I love you. You love me. We’re having a baby. It only seems right.”

“Aegon, I’m still in high school. You’re still in high school. We can’t get married.”

“We don’t have to get married tomorrow, all I’m saying Arya Stark, is that I want to marry you someday. And I’d rather it be someday soon.” He gazed at her with his indigo eyes.

“Come on you two, the reservation isn’t going to wait for us,” Griff yelled and the two of them begrudgingly made their way downstairs.

As he was holding her coat for her, she whispered into his ear, “I’ll marry you. We just need to tell my parents about,” she looked down at her belly.

“I still can’t believe you’ve gotten this big,” he teased, he rarely saw her stomach because it was always covered by over-sized t-shirts and hoodies, “Pretty soon you won’t be able to see your toes.”

“And whose fault is that?”

“Both of yours,” Septa Lemore scolded, “Now let’s get in the car.”

Arya and Aegon couldn’t help but chuckle. The drive to Dragonstone, an upscale restaurant about an hour outside of Wintertown was pretty pleasant. As usual, ‘Old Griff’ refused to turn on the radio, so the four of them sat in silence for the entire drive. Arya held Aegon’s hand gently, as he stroked the back of hers with his thumb.

“So, Arya, how’ve you been feeling?” Lemore asked after the four of them had sat down.

“Pretty good, no real complaints.”

“That’s good to hear. Are you following the doctor’s advice on no fencing.”

Aegon let out a chortle, “Oh she is, trust me.”

It had been a bit awkward to have the conversation with Syrio about her being pregnant; he was the only person besides Sansa, Aegon, and his family who knew she was pregnant. Luckily for her, fencing practices were usually held at a gym twenty minutes from school, and she usually worked one-on-one with Syrio, so no one else knew that could no longer fence. She was still the team captain and was expected to go to meets and competitions and team practices, which were Tuesdays after school from 3-6. Usually during those she’d spar with at least two or three people, but for the past few weeks she’s only been instructing her teammates on their form.

“Hey, just because you can’t handle me coaching you doesn’t mean I’m a bad instructor,” she rebutted.

“Arya,” he soothed, “You were scary.”

“Was not,” she defended.

“Duck cried.”

“Well I can’t help that, Duck is horrible. I swear, Hot Pie would be better with a sword than him.”

The conversation between the four of them flowed well and Arya was having a really good time, until she noticed parents along with Robb and some girl coming into the restaurant.

“Oh my God,” she panicked.

“Babe, what is it? Is it the baby?” Aegon asked worried.

“Nope, look,” she pointed to her family, “I need to go.”

“Arya, dear, maybe this is a sign, you should tell your family,” Lemore suggested.

Arya cursed under her breath, why on earth were they here and who was the girl with Robb? She had too many questions to ask and not enough time to react because before she knew it her father spotted her table. Fortunately for Arya, he wasn’t focused on her, but on ‘Old Griff’ or Jon Connington, as he was known before the Rebellion. Jon and Lemore were facing Ned and the rest of Arya’s family, while luckily she and Aegon were hidden from view.

“I can feel him looking over here,” Arya seethed, “What am I going to do?” The panic was evident on her face; her chest was rising up and down rapidly.

Lemore got up from her chair and extended a hand to Jon, “Let’s go.”

“What?” He asked confused.

“We’re going to go and say hello to Ned Stark while these two figure a way out of here.”

And so, Lemore and ‘Old Griff’ approached Ned Stark, who was at the bar ordering drinks.

“Ned,” Lemore greeted.

His grey eyes almost had tears in them as he gazed upon his lost love, Ashara. They two of them were secretly dating when Lyanna and Rhaegar got together. He hadn’t seen Ashara in years, not after he had gone to Dorne and explained that Lyanna had given birth to a son and Ned took him in and raised him as his own when Lyanna died in childbirth. Ashara was pregnant at the time and rumor spread across Westeros that the baby was stillborn and Ashara threw herself from a tower and died, but how could a dead woman be looking back at him, in Dragonstone of all places.

“Ashara,” his voice barely audible, “You’re alive. How?”

“I had to protect someone, just as you did,” she quickly responded.

“Did you hear about Cersi? Is that why you’ve come back?”

“It’s got something to do with it, yes,” she replied.

“My advisors have told me that someone,” his eyes graze over ‘Old Griff’, “Has been starting rumors that Rhaegar’s little sister and eldest son are still alive. People have seen Dany for years, but Aegon is a mystery,” he drawled.

“Can I trust you Ned?” Ashara asked.

“Absolutely,” he replied.

“Aegon’s alive. He and Dany are going to claim the company.”

“And Jon?” Jon Snow, the only result of Lyanna and Rhaegar’s union had been hidden from the Lannisters and Robert for years. Robert’s judgment was clouded from the loss of Lyanna and he had ordered the deaths of all Targareyns, including Dany and her elder brother Viserys. No one had known Aegon was alive, he was thought to have been killed by the Mountain in King’s Landing. So, Ned had assumed the only surviving Targareyn and rightful heir to Targareyn Corp. and with it the practical title of King of Westeros rested on the shoulders of Jon Snow. Jon was only a few months younger than Aegon, but since Aegon spent so much of his time traveling as a child, Jon was a year older in school.

“No one knows, he hasn’t been involved in discussions, but both Dany and Aegon want to meet him. They want him to be involved,” ‘Old Griff’ finally spoke.

“What’s brought this on? It can’t just be Cersi’s affair with Jamie, why did you two start digging?”

“We can’t tell you that,” Ashara said, “But you’ll know soon enough.”

Ned didn’t like the sound of that, but before he could reply his wife and son and his new girlfriend came and told him that their table was ready.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be keeping you two from your guests,” Ned replied.

“It’s no problem,” Lemore responded, “I’m thankful you could answer my questions. Here’s my card, Mr. Stark, keep in touch.” And with that Lemore and Griff left a bewildered Ned, he watched Ashara as she left and he couldn’t help but notice a boy with blue hair waiting by the door for her sitting on a bench with a brown haired girl.

“What was that about?” Catelyn wondered.

“Nothing, she’s just an old business partner of mine,” Ned answered quickly. Catelyn bit her tongue and decided to not argue with her husband, especially in front of Robb’s new girlfriend Jeyne, but purple eyes like that are hard to find and Cat couldn’t quite squash the feeling that the woman Ned was talking to was the mystery mother of Jon Snow, Ashara Dayne.

“You guys go to the table, I’ll be there in just a second,” he told his wife, there was something a bit too peculiar about Ashara coming up to him and besides Ned wanted to get a good look at Aegon himself.

Arya and Aegon had darted out the side door of the restaurant, lucky to not be spotted by her parents and older brother. Winter had officially hit and so the air had a bit of a bite to it as they waited outside. Being from the north meant Arya was stubborn and refused to admit that she was cold, but her body had betrayed her and Aegon could hear her teeth chattering.

He put his coat over her and she pulled it around herself and he wrapped his arm around her as they sat on the bench outside Dragonstone. Aegon placed his hand on her belly and a smile came across her face. She didn’t know if he was her fiancé or her boyfriend, but she knew she was happy and that everything felt right. They sat in the cold for a few minutes, holding on to one another while Lemore and ‘Old Griff’ went to get the car. Things were exactly the way they were supposed to be.

“It all seems surreal,” he began, “I mean I never thought I’d be able to run the company. And ‘Old Griff’ says there’s a third Targareyn that neither Dany nor me have met. He says I have a brother.”

“Really?”

Aegon’s face beamed with happiness, “Yeah, he’s a few months younger than me. I really want to meet him. He’s the only blood family I’ve got besides Dany.”

The thought of Aegon finally having the family he longed for brought a smile to her face, “Ahem,” she smacked him playfully on the shoulder and pointed to her midsection, “The only blood family you have?”

“The two of you are going to constantly keep me on my toes aren’t you?” He asked.

“You know you love us,” Arya said as she leaned in to kiss him.

The two of them were kissing one another when a loud cough interrupted them.

“Arya Lyarra Stark, care to explain why you’re here and not at your friend Gendry’s house like you told your mother and also why you’re kissing a boy who I can only assume is Aegon Targareyn.”

“Sir,” Aegon stood up to shake his hand, “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Aegon Targareyn,” he extended his hand but Ned ignored it.

Arya was grateful that Aegon was raised to handle situations like this. He was a natural born leader and delegator. He knew how to read a room and how to calm people’s nerves. She, on the other hand, knew how to fight; but right now she couldn’t even form words.

“Arya,” Ned said again, “Explanation, now.”

“It’s my fault really, sir,” Aegon spoke up again. “Arya and I have been seeing each other for a while but because of my family situation she had to keep it a secret. We were planning on telling you as soon as everything got settled.”

Ned looked at his daughter, whose eyes were glued to the ground and whose knuckles were turning white from gripping the coat she was wearing so tightly, she was clearly hiding something.

“Arya, I’m not going to ask again. Either you tell me what’s going on or I’m going to drive you home and we can have this same exact talk there.”

She gathered up her courage and looked up at her father, grey eyes meeting grey, “Aegon and I are a couple.”

“I’ve gathered that Arya.”

“We’ve been a couple for a while,” she admitted, “And I,” she sighed, “I’m pregnant.”

As Ned looked at his youngest daughter, who so resembled his sister Lyanna, he couldn’t help but feel as if he had seen a ghost.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

Winterfell was known for its cold nights where the wind whipped and roared. Even though the cold of the night bites like Hell, the stars above are pure magic. The sky is dark, practically pitch black, unlike the light sky of King’s Landing. But the true beauty lies in the stars, each shining so brightly. Arya remembered staring up at the stars with her father when she was younger, they had always mesmerized her, and he would point out constellations to her. She grew fond of trying to find a new constellation by making a pattern out of whichever stars she saw; when she would show her father he would laugh and reward her effort but think nothing more of it. But she learned, as a little girl how to find a pattern in something and work the solution out for herself. So, while her father was patiently waiting for her to say something she stared at the stars, hoping she would not have to be brought down to earth any time soon. 

The tension in the air could be cut with a knife. Arya’s head was in the clouds, while Aegon awkwardly stared at Ned’s eyebrows because he was too afraid to utter a word. Ned gathered himself and decided to speak first, his voice was cold and distant, “The two of you are going to get into my car and we’re going to drive back to Winterfell and the lot of us are going to discuss this. Do your parents know about this?” Ned asked Aegon, addressing him for the first time that night. 

“Yes,” he said, “They’re aware of our situation.” 

Ned was seething with anger. His little girl was pregnant and he felt nothing but fear. Her life would never be the same if she had the baby, his thoughts went to Lyanna. She was so young when she lost her life in childbirth. She was Arya’s age when she passed away; Ned did not want the same fate for Arya. 

“Have they been taking care of you two?” Ned asked sincerely, shocking both Arya and Aegon. He wasn’t a monster, of course he was angry with his daughter for hiding this, but her health was his primary concern. 

“Yes,” Arya mumbled, “They’ve been very helpful.” 

“Good.” 

The three of them stood in silence for a few seconds. Arya and Aegon weren’t sure if they were supposed to follow Ned to his car or if they were having the conversation here? While Ned couldn’t help but think about Lyanna and Rhaegar, the forbidden love that had almost destroyed the nation, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was staring at ghosts.  
Old Griff and Ashara had just come out of the front door, they had to discuss with the waiter why they needed to leave early and pay their bill after Arya and Aegon ran out of the restaurant like bats out of hell when Ashara started talking to Ned. 

“Ned,” Ashara said stunned, “I,” she was at a loss for words.

“It wasn’t your secret to tell, Ashara,” he quickly responded, however, there was a subtly in his voice a certain familiarity. How did her father know Septa Lemore and even more so, how did he know her real name was Ashara. 

“We’re headed out right now, “Ashara responded, “I can drive Arya and Aegon home to Winterfell while you finish your dinner.” 

“Father,” Arya interrupted, “You’re here for a dinner with Robb and his girlfriend, can I go home with the Connington’s and we can discuss this tonight?” 

He pondered for a moment before relenting, “Fine. The two of you can be dropped off at home, I’ll be there in an hour.” 

Arya wanted to argue, she wanted him to stay at Dragonstone for years, but an hour was all she had to gather her thoughts and to prepare her defense. She was about to walk into the wolves’ den. 

“Ned, you look like you’ve seen a ghost. What happened?” Cat asked. 

“Jeyne,” the young-girl looked at him with her dark-brown doe eyes, “I’m sorry to do this, but we need to leave. I’ll call you a cab and pay for dinner, but there’s been an emergency and my family and I need to leave now.”

“Ned, you’re scaring me,” Catelyn said, fear creeping into her voice. 

“Dad, what’s going on?” Robb asked, “You talked with that woman for all of two minutes then you were outside and now you’re saying there’s an emergency. Someone better be dying because I’m not going to just leave my girlfriend alone.” 

“I’ll be fine, Robb,” Jeyne defended, “Clearly you’re needed elsewhere.” 

“Thank you Jeyne.” Ned put a few hundred dollar bills down on the table, it was way too much for the little food they did eat and the cab fare, but he didn’t know any other way to make it up to her, “I’ve had the hostess call you a cab, it should be here in ten minutes.” 

“Thank you sir,” she replied, “Bye Robb,” she kissed him on the cheek as he was angrily putting on his coat, “I’ll see you soon.”

“Bye,” he kissed her back.

As soon as the Starks got into their car the yelling began.

“Dad, no offense, but what the fuck?” Robb asked.

“Language,” Catelyn scolded.

“I swear to God, this is the first girl I’ve brought home in forever, she’s sweet, caring, and she’s a kickass boxer. She’s like the perfect Arya Sansa hybrid and you could barely stand to look at her. That woman distracted you. Who is she? Is she Jon’s mother?” The words cut like knives and if Ned weren’t driving he would’ve smacked his son. 

“No she’s not Jon’s mother. Jon’s mother is dead,” he spat back. This was the first time he had ever mentioned that Jon’s real mother was dead. Cat breathed a sigh of relief knowing that Ashara Dayne wasn’t Jon’s mother and that at least one ghost from her past would not continue to haunt her. 

“Ned, please, talk to us, what is it?” Cat soothed, she reached for Ned’s hand and she could feel him trembling. 

“Is Jon home tonight?” Ned asked Robb.

“I don’t know he and Ygritte had plans.” 

“Call him and ask.” 

So Robb obliged. Luckily, Jon was sitting in the living room at Winterfell Manor eating potato chips and watching terrible television. Neither Jon nor Robb had been home in six weeks; they both had jobs, girlfriends, and other stuff to do on campus. 

“He’s home,” Robb stated while still on the phone with Jon.

“Tell him to get everyone in the living room, we’re having a family meeting as soon as we get home.” 

“Got that?” Robb asked; the phone was now on speaker.

“Yeah,” Jon replied, everyone’s here except for Arya.

“Oh, she’s at Gendry’s house,” Catelyn added, “She’ll probably need a ride.”

“She’s not at Gendry’s house,” Ned growled. 

“What do you mean she’s not there?” Catelyn panicked.

“And I think I’ve just figured out the subject of the family meeting,” Robb joked causing Jon to laugh.

“I wonder what Arya did this time,” Jon roared with laughter, “Did she threaten a classmate or a teammate?” 

Catelyn listened to her son and Jon laugh about Arya and her ridiculous antics, but she’d never seen Ned so upset before. She constantly got upset with Arya for not being a proper lady, for hating dresses, for being too much of a boy, but Ned had been able to see past all of those issues. The only thing that made his blood boil more than anything was the thought of Arya with a boy. Every time Cat casually mentioned it, he’d grunt and walk away. He hated to think of her growing up, denied it until he was blue in the face. 

“The emergency is Arya isn’t it?” Catelyn wondered, they were making good time and would arrive in Winterfell in ten minutes.

“Yes,” Ned groaned. 

“So she has a boyfriend, I’m a bit surprised, but it’s nothing to be this worked up over.” 

“Arya has a boyfriend?” Robb and Jon shouted in unison. 

“Trust me, if she only had a boyfriend I would be over the moon.” 

“Ned,” Cat looked at her husband she could see the tension building in his shoulders as he tapped repeatedly on the steering wheel as they waited for the light to turn green, “ Is she?” 

“She’ll tell you when we get home.” 

Unfortunately for Arya her family had beaten her home. The car ride home with ‘Old Griff’ and Septa Lemore had been a quiet affair. They stopped for some burgers because Arya was hungry and the baby needed to be fed, but they couldn’t delay the inevitable forever and ‘Old Griff’ dropped her and Aegon off at her house about twenty minutes after her parents and Robb got home.  
Arya walked in the door, still wearing Aegon’s coat, she hoped no one would be in the living room. She hoped that she and Aegon could sneak their way into the house, make way to her father’s study, and let him rain all hell on them. However, the Gods were not on her side and in the living room sat her entire family. They stared at Aegon, who was standing behind her so close he could have been her shadow. She could feel his heavy breathing on her neck, he was nervous; he didn’t want to be here as much as she did. 

“So, you’re the boyfriend?” Rickon asked. 

“Uh, yeah,” Aegon responded.

Cat looked at the boy, he was tall, refined, and had awfully dyed blue hair. But his eyes were a beautiful shade of indigo; some may even call it purple. She watched her daughter and him; there was definitely a familiarity about the two of them. The little hand grazes certainly did not go unnoticed. But she couldn’t help but feel a ghost from her past, she was never privy to meet Lyanna and Rhaegar but it felt like the star-crossed lovers were standing in her living room. 

“Catelyn Stark,” Cat got up to greet the young boy, “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Here let me take your coat and yours too Arya.” 

“Griff Connington,” Aegon extended his hand.

“I’d rather not, I’m a bit cold,” Arya responded. 

“Arya, do what your mother says,” Ned ordered. 

Soon enough Arya was out of Aegon’s coat and on full display. Her dress was short and tight, leaving little to the imagination. It wasn’t inappropriate; she was still wearing her leather jacket and had luckily taken her heels off when they got in the door. Instinctually she crossed her arms over her midsection as her mother led her and Aegon to a seat on the couch. 

“Arya,” Sansa gasped, “You’re wearing a dress?” 

Arya rolled her eyes, “That’s what you care about?” 

“Well I mean, I already know the other thing,” Sansa admitted.

“You knew?” Ned roared. 

Sansa’s cheeks flared, “I, uh, I didn’t know, who the father was,” Sansa defended.

“Sansa!” Arya screeched.

“Father?” Jon asked Arya as she removed her hand from her stomach he caught a clear view of exactly what Sansa meant.

“Enough,” Ned hollered quieting the room, “Arya, you, me, your mother, and him,’ Ned pointed at Aegon, “Are going to have a serious discussion in my solar, the rest of you can wait here for us.”

“If this is only about Arya getting a boyfriend why do we have to wait here?” Rickon wondered. 

“Because,” Ned answered shortly, he could feel the hairs on his head turning grey from the stress and this was only the beginning. No one knew who Aegon truly was, not yet at least, no eventually things would be much, much worse. 

“This isn’t fair,” Rickon whined.

“At least you don’t have to go in there,” Arya comforted her brother as she shamefully followed her parents along with Aegon to Ned’s solar  
.  
“Sansa,” Bran, Rickon, Robb, and Jon all seemed to say in unison before Bran stated, “What is happening with Arya and how do you know about it?” 

Ned slammed the door of his solar shut once the four of them were inside. His mind was racing and he his hands were shaking violently as he poured himself some scotch. 

"Ned is that really necessary?" Cat asked, but he just groaned and handed her a glass as well. 

"You're going to need it, trust me," he said, "Arya, you have the floor." 

Arya didn't know what to say or do. This wasn't like when she found out. Then she had had time to process the information to come to terms with the fact that she was having a baby. But now, telling her family makes it real, she really is having a baby. There's no going back. There's no refunds. There's no saying 'oops I'm sorry it'll never happen again'. She made her bed and now she has to lie in it. And she'd be lying if she didn't admit that it was an awfully nice bed with an awfully attentive man in it. Does she regret what she did? Absolutely not. But if she could choose to be in this room about to admit to her mother that she's pregnant and then in a few minutes shamefully tell the rest of her family or to be anywhere else, even Harrenhahl she'd run for the hills like mad. But she's a Stark and Stark's do not give up, they do not back down from a challenge. So she held her head up high and looked her mother straight in the eyes and told her.

“I’m pregnant,” she said, “Griff and I are having a baby. There I said it, ripped the Band-Aid clean off.”

Catelyn erupted with laughter, “No you’re not;” she laughed, “That’s impossible.” She was shaking like a leaf and Ned looked at her with a knowing look as he chugged his entire scotch and poured himself another. 

Arya then stood up and pointed at her stomach, “This look impossible?” She asked as she took her mother’s hand and guided it to her abdomen, her very prominent abdomen now that Cat was truly looking at her. How could she have not noticed? “There’s a person in there and you’re her grandmother.” 

Tears welled in Catelyn’s eyes, whether they were from anger or joy she couldn’t tell, “Her?” 

“Baby girl, due in May, we’re planning on naming her Elia in honor of his mother.” 

"Arya," Cat's voice barely made a sound, "I can't believe this is happening." 

"Mrs. Stark," Aegon began, "I know this is probably a shock but I do love Arya and I intend to marry her, if she'll still have me." 

"Of course I will, Aegon," she beamed like a ray of light and Cat understood as she looked at her daughter just how in love she truly was. 

"Aegon?" Cat asked. 

"Oh yeah, that was the other detail of their 'genius' union," Ned scoffed as he finished his second drink, "Your daughter just had to fall in love with the hidden Targareyn boy who happens to be the elder brother to Jon." 

And now Ned was good and drunk when the whole room gasped in unison, "What?"

 

Daenerys Targareyn or Dany had been attending Winterfell High for a little over a year now. She came after she lived in Meereen for four years, the sand and the heat were becoming a bit too much for her. Also, her advisors had told her that Westeros was becoming more and more dishelved from mismanagement caused by Ceresi and her children and that it was high time she returned home. She came to Winterfell solely because her nephew Aegon had been here for a few years. She left Mereen along with her advisor Jorah Mormont, who acted as her guardian, her friends Messandai and Greyworm each of whom held an advisory position on her board. 

Dany and Aegon had gotten off well when they first met, while he was still in hiding and she had come to Winterfell under no guise. She was Daenerys Targareyn and her presence was a huge ‘fuck you’ to any Lannister or Baratheon and she liked it that way. 

“Morning Arya,” Dany smiled a bit too cheerily. 

“Dany,” Arya replied. She and Dany had hung quite a bit due to their mutual connection with Aegon, but Arya would never call herself close to his younger aunt. 

“You and I don’t hang out on our own nearly enough,” she began. 

Arya wanted to protest but she soon spotted Gendry coming towards his locker, which of course was next to Arya’s because as a senior he got to choose where his went and he had to pick the one smack next to hers, “Dany we don’t hang out at all without Griff,” Arya pointed out.

“That should change, I mean we’re family now,” Dany said quietly, but her whisper was not that quiet and Arya couldn’t help but think she was doing this purposefully.

“Not here,” Arya hissed, “No one knows yet.” 

Dany casually rolled her eyes, she was always a bit too flamboyant and did not understand the ramifications of Arya’s pregnancy, “Will I see you after school tonight?” Dany asked right as Gendry made his way to his locker. 

“Sure,” Arya responded, “See you then.” 

Dany said bye and started to walk away, “Oh and Arya,” she called back catching the attention of Arya and a nosey Gendry, “The dragon has three heads.” 

“Care to explain why you and Daenerys Targareyn were talking?” 

“Uh,” Arya hesitated, “We’ve been working on a project together.” 

“You know I can read you like a book Arya Stark and I know you’re lying, why don’t you make it easier and tell me what’s going on.” 

“Stupid bull,” she hissed, “If I could tell you I would. Don’t you think that’s why I haven’t told you?” 

“What could be so bad that you quit fencing?” He asked.

She stared at him dumbfounded, “How’d you know I quit fencing?” 

“You were being pretty distant a while back and I couldn’t find a time to hang out, so I went to the House of Black and White on Friday and when I asked Syrio for you he told me you couldn’t fence anymore and that you were off the team. So, Arya what gives? Did he kick you off for drugs? Cheating? Did you actually hit someone? I’m at a complete loss as to why Arya Stark, goddess of fencing, she-wolf of Winterfell as you so aptly like to be called quits the one thing she’s passionate about.” By this time his voice had raised a few octaves and he was yelling at her, causing everyone in the hallway to stare at them, even Aegon who despite everything Arya wished was coming towards them.

“Is there a problem here?” Aegon asked approaching Arya from behind. He kept his distance from her, but the two of them were like moths to a flame and their desire could be felt by anyone who came near them. She could feel herself subconsciously leaning her body into his while he tried hard to control the desire to grab her hand. 

“No mate,” Gendry put his hands up, “But I don’t think this concerns you.” 

Arya could see Aegon tense up and she turned to look at him, her eyes begged him to leave, to let it go, because right now was not the time to argue with Gendry. 

“You’re yelling at my fiancé in the middle of the hallway, I think it does concern me,” Aegon replied as he stepped up to Gendry. He was no where near as big as Gendry, but he was still tall and just as strong, he could take Gendry in a fight and he was about to do just that. 

Gendry took the first swing and instinctually Aegon was shocked upon its impact and stumbled a bit, knocking into Arya who in turn got knocked into the sea of students making their way to class. Sansa ran from Margaery’s embrace to her sister, while Aegon was on his knees next to a crying Arya, and Gendry just stood with a dumbfounded look on his face. 

“Arya,” Sansa screamed, her little sister was clutching her stomach. Somehow in the fall a freshman landed on top of Arya.

“Arya, is it the baby?” Sansa asked her sister, trying to calm her down, as Arya lay on the ground in practical tears. She wasn’t in too much physical pain, but she was peerless with fear. She felt this horrible cramping feeling in her stomach, something did not feel right. Arya just bit her lip and nodded her head in response. 

“Aegon,” Arya cried her hand desperately reaching for him and when his eyes met hers he instantly sensed her fear and he knew, “I can’t feel her,” she cried, “I can’t feel her. I’ve always been able to feel her,” she could barely make the words out; her voice was plagued by her sobs and fear. He swooped her up in his arms and began to carry her out of the school, “I’m scared,” she let out quietly. 

“Sansa,” he instructed, “I’m going to take her to the hospital. Can you text your parents that we’re going to be there.”

“I will, keep me updated okay?” Aegon simply nodded at her. 

“Shh,” Aegon whispered in a whimpering Arya’s ear, “It’s going to be fine. She’s going to be fine.” All Arya could do now was cry into her fiancé’s shoulder and wait for the doctors. 

“Sansa I’m so sorry,” Gendry began, “I don’t know what came over me. I didn’t mean to hit her, is she going to be okay? I’ve never seen her like that.” 

“Gendry, I know you’re a nice guy and you’ve been friends with Arya for years but I swear to the Gods if I lose my niece because you are too bullheaded and wanted to size up the competition I will kill you. And I don’t mean that idly. I will hire the best people I can find to make your life a miserable hell and then one day when you least expect it I will take all you hold dear just like you’ve done to Arya,” the words flowed like venom from a snake, “I may look like a flower Gendry, but I am a wolf and you’re on extremely thin ice.” 

“Niece? What are you even talking about?”

Sansa scoffed, “Arya always called you a bull, she’s pregnant you idiot. That’s why she quit fencing and you just knocked her into a crowd of people.” She was seething with anger. 

Gendry felt like a semi-truck, Arya Stark, had hit him was pregnant. That meant that she was with someone else, “Who’s the father?” 

“Griff,” Sansa answered, “They’ve been together for years so please do not try to get in the middle and ruin this.” 

“Years?” 

“Since before freshmen year they’ve been dating, hasn’t she told you? Of all the people she would need to tell you’d be the first on her list.”

“She never said a word to me.” 

“I’m sorry Gendry,” Sansa soothed, “I really am.” 

“It’s my own fault, isn’t it?” 

Sansa nodded slowly, “Yeah, it is.” And walked away.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shorter than normal, only two scenes, but wanted to get this out. Bear in mind this is fairly unedited, so please point out any glaring errors you may see. Next chapter will be longer and the finale (I'm hoping).

The solar had felt too conforming for Arya and Aegon. They knew that they’d have to tell her siblings what was going on, but the two of them were still transfixed on Ned’s drunken confession. Jon wasn’t her brother; rather he was Aegon’s. They had left Catelyn and Ned to talk alone, after her mother all but threw them out; and were standing in the hallway waiting for them to commence arguing, surely her mother wanted to gut her father like a fish and Arya could not blame her.

“I can’t believe it,” Aegon confessed, “Never in a million years would I have guessed.”

“I’m sorry,” was all she could muster.

He immediately grabbed her and said, “Why are you apologizing, it’s not like it’s your fault. It’s my damn father’s,” he groaned, “If he wasn’t so preoccupied with prophecies maybe he’d still be here and?” Aegon stopped himself from ranting further. He had gone his whole life without knowing his father and he had felt little for it, but now, knowing that his father had another son after him he had felt the sting of betrayal. Was he not good enough? What did Jon have to offer? And then his mind went to Arya, his precious Arya. Jon had always been her favorite brother, he was kind, sensitive, tried to include her in everything; Aegon could never hate Jon.

“Hey, hey,” she cooed, “I’m here, talk to me.”

“I never imagined he’d be your brother,” he confessed.

“Cousin,” she admitted, “He’s my cousin.” The word felt foreign on her tongue.

“That’s beside the point. Arya if I would’ve known.”

“You wouldn’t have pursued us?” She asked, her eyes looking at him intensely.

“No,” he admitted, “I didn’t say that.”

“But you thought it.”

“Arya, I love you. I love Elia. I love the family we’re trying to create. Do not for a second suggest that I regret it,” his tone had grown louder than he had anticipated and soon Jon had interceded their conversation.

“Is there a problem?” Jon asked.

His sister and her boyfriend looked at him with shocked expressions on their faces, both unwilling to move or utter a word in response. Arya was looking at him like it was the first time seeing him, now he was her cousin not her brother. While Aegon, revealed in his appearance, he had gained a brother. And for that he was grateful.

“No,” Arya tensed, “We’ll be out in a moment to explain something, mother and father are,” she paused, “Discussing things.”

“Little wolf,” Jon cooed, “You don’t need to hide things from me.”

Aegon felt completely ignored as he watched her and Jon’s interaction, “I’m scared Jon,” she confessed into his arms, “I’m so scared.”

“Shh,” he stoked her cheek, “No one knows but me. Sansa didn’t say a word.”

She looked at him intensely, “how do you know?”

“I’m more observant than you think.”

She sighed loudly, “I’m sorry. You must be so disappointed in me.”

“Disappointed?” He gasped. “I’m shocked, but I could never be disappointed. Disappointment would come when you name Robb godfather over me, but not now.”

Aegon felt like he was intruding on something, so he kept quiet and observed his girlfriend with her favorite brother, his brother apparently.

“You know you’re going to be her godfather, Jon. There’s never been any question about it.”

“Her? You’re having a girl?”

She grabbed Aegon’s hand and pulled him closer to her, ripping him away from the wall he had sunk into, “I’m having a girl. We’re naming her Elia after his mother.

“That sounds absolutely lovely.”

Ned and Catelyn exited the solar a few minutes later. Cat looked like she had been crying and Ned stared at the floor, holding his head in shame.

“Let’s go tell your siblings,” Cat said, clearly holding back tears.

The rest of the Stark siblings, along with Jon who had returned to the living room ahead of Arya and Aegon, were waiting patiently. They had gone over and over in their heads just what could be so serious. Did mom and dad catch them having sex? Was Arya permanently kicked off the fencing team? Was her boyfriend a secret spy? They had pestered Sansa relentlessly for the hour they were waiting but she had kept her mouth shut and told them they needed to wait and see.

“Okay, so what is so important that I needed to cancel my date?” Robb groaned, having grown a bit too annoyed with the waiting.

“Robb, patience,” Sansa scolded, “Let Arya tell you.”

Arya and Aegon entered the room, soon followed by Ned and Cat. She and him sat down next to each other on the sofa, facing the rest of her siblings like they were the center of attention.

“Well,” Rickon asked, “Why are you in so much trouble?”

Arya huffed, “I’m dating Aegon,” she began.

“Aegon? Who’s Aegon?” Sansa called out.

“Me,” Aegon answered, “My name isn’t Griff Connington, and it’s Aegon Targaryen.”

Everyone turned their heads to look at Ned who simply shrugged and gave a look of _trust me, I know._

“You’re the last Targaryen,” Robb muttered.

“Well no,” Aegon explained, “There’s my aunt Dany and then I have a younger half brother.”

“No one’s heard of a younger half brother,” Bran began.

“That’s quite enough,” Ned interrupted, “We’ll get to the mysterious half brother later, Arya.”

Everyone’s attention turned to Arya again, “So, Aegon and I have been dating for two and a half years now.”

“Two and a half fucking years? Jesus Christ, Arya,” Robb practically screamed.

“I couldn’t tell you because of his family,” she countered, “And besides, I wanted something private. Everyday I’m called Arya horse face,” Sansa grimaced at that because it was her and Jeyne Poole who had come up with the nickname, “You all treat me like I’m this ugly little urchin and laugh at the idea of any boy even looking at me.

Robb sulked back, Jon gapped, and Sansa felt like she had been hit with a train by Arya’s words.

“So, I decided to keep it hidden. I didn’t mean for it to go on as long as it did, but I can’t change that now,” she admitted.

“Arya,” Bran wondered, “Why are you telling us now?” Arya smiled at Bran, he had been the only one, besides Jon, who tried to understand her. But even Jon at times would laugh along with Robb and treat her too much like a little girl.

“This is hard for me to say and I don’t want you guys judging me for this,” she tensed a bit.

“Arya, we’re your family, we’ll always love you,” Bran offered.

“Go on love,” Catelyn said, “It’s okay you can tell them.”

She fidgeted with her hands a few seconds more, “I’m pregnant.”

The room went silent.

“Preg-pregnant?” Robb asked.

“Yes.”

He immediately got up and went to pummel Aegon into the ground, luckily Ned stopped him, “Let her finish before you break the boy’s face in. You can do that after.” The room let out a bit of a chuckle as Robb embarrassingly sat himself down.

“We didn’t mean for it to happen,” Aegon added.

“Obviously, you’re still in high school,” Robb scowled.

“I love Arya and I love our daughter more than words can say. I never dishonored her. But, I know how this looks, if you need to punch me so be it but please avoid the left side of my face,” he joked.

“Daughter?” Sansa squealed, “Arya you never told me you’re having a girl.”

“Yeah, we found out a while ago.”

“Oh my gosh, this is so exciting. I’m going to have a niece.” Sansa could not contain her excitement, she had already begun to think about what dresses she would buy her, “Have you guys picked out a name?”

“Elia Lyanna Targaryen,” Arya confidently recited, “After his mother and Aunt Lyanna,” she looked tensely at her father, “You always told me I had the wolf-blood like her, I wanted my daughter to have it to.”

Ned couldn’t help the tears that came to his eyes as Arya went over to hug him, “Thank you, my little-wolf,” he whispered into her hair, “Thank you.”

 

Panic seared through her as the nurses were hooking her up to a myriad of monitors. Aegon had been forced to wait in the waiting room, although he protested loudly, she had heard him shouting as they wheeled her into an exam room.

Arya didn’t say anything. She didn’t want to ask too many questions for fear it would distract them from their work. She just lay there silently, contemplating everything that had happened. It seemed like a blur. One moment she was standing in the hall talking to Gendry, they had been fighting about her being distant, and the next she was on the floor clutching her abdomen and sobbing.

“Arya,” her mother opened the door of the exam room in a panic, her father had come too.

As soon as she saw her mother Arya sobbed, “Mommy,” she cried. Catelyn jumped into action and immediately went to her daughter’s side.

“Sansa explained everything, it’s going to be okay.”

“You don’t know that,” Arya sobbed again.

Ned grabbed Arya’s hand, “Be brave little wolf,” he comforted.

“How long have you had my daughter in here and not told her about the baby?” Catelyn demanded.

“We’ve been seeing other patients,” the nurse defended.

“Get and ultrasound in here now, or I will personally see to it that you lose your job,” Ned threatened.

The girl worked quickly and within minutes they had the machine in the room. Ned and Catelyn watched as Arya reluctantly lifted her shirt showing her extended abdomen, she grimaced as the jelly was squeezed onto her stomach, and watched nervously as the nurse moved the wand around. She stared at the screen.

“Strong heartbeat, she looks strong,” the nurse announced, “I’ll have the doctor come in and check everything, but your fall seems to have done little to no damage.”

Catelyn couldn’t help but cry, she hadn’t seen her granddaughter before and now it had gotten real. She looked up at her husband and saw that he had tears in his eyes as well. She actually had a granddaughter, and she was coming much sooner than expected. Catelyn was angry, unsure, put in whatever emotion you can think of about her daughter being pregnant at the ripe old age of sixteen. But as soon as that screen showed her, Catelyn fell in love. She saw Arya’s face drop in relief upon sight of her daughter and all of a sudden it became real. She was going to become a grandmother.

“Could someone get Griff,” Arya asked, “He should know that she’s okay.”

“I’ll do it,” Ned offered, he left the room soon after.

Ned found Aegon who was pacing like a mad man in the lobby, “Aegon,” he called. The boy turned around and his face looked as if the whole world had shattered.

“Where’s Arya? Is she okay? Is Elia okay?”

“Sit down, lad,” Ned said, Aegon complied as he looked at Ned with tears welling in his eyes, “She’s fine. They’re both fine. They’re just running some precautionary tests.”

Relief flooded over him, “Thank the gods.”

“I wanted to talk to you, though,” Ned’s tone became a bit more serious.

“What is it, sir?”

“Has Arya told you about her aunt Lyanna?”

“Not much. Just that she died when she was sixteen.”

“Aye,” Ned looked up at the ceiling, “She did. Did she tell you what she died from?”

“A fever,” Aegon offered.

“A fever, yes,” Ned explained, “But it was a fever brought on by childbirth.”

Aegon’s face dropped, “Childbirth?”

“She’s Jon’s mother.”

“Why are you telling me this, Mr. Stark?”

“Because I want you to know that love isn’t enough,” he sighed, “She was healthy, happy, set to marry my best friend, but even I could see she didn’t love him. She loved your father, so much she ran away with him. They were held up in this abandoned tower because of the rebellion and because she couldn’t give birth in a hospital, she died. I know that things are safer for you and Arya, but”

“You’re afraid the past is going to repeat itself,” Aegon finished.

“I know you love her. I can see it in the way you look at her, you look at her as if she lights your entire world.”

“She does, Mr. Stark. They both do.”

“She’s my little girl,” Ned stated, “I love her more than words can say, but I’m scared for her. When I look at her, she reminds me so much of Lyanna; sometimes when I’m lost in thought I picture that Arya is Lyanna. Wild, carefree, but so caring. When I got the phone call from Sansa today about what happened, everything suddenly became real for me, I could have lost Arya today, but more importantly I could have lost my granddaughter. Before I had never really put much thought into it. I was so angry with you, the situation, Lyanna’s passing; I never stopped to think that there’s an innocent child in this situation. And for that, Aegon, I truly am sorry.”

Aegon was dumbfounded, “Thank you, Mr. Stark.”

“Come on Aegon, let’s go see her.”

 

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long!!! Arya and Aegon aftermath.

Aegon prided himself on his levelheadedness; it had saved him in many a situation. He always took lead, he stayed calm in a storm, but today he was nothing. He remembered when she got knocked over by the freshmen, the sense of urgency that flowed through him telling him to make sure she’s alright, regardless of who’ll see, there was adrenaline going through his veins. It was so powerful he didn’t have time to stop and think and now that he’s been in the hospital for hours without an update, besides Mr. Stark just telling him Arya and the baby were fine, and for the first time in his life he felt true fear. Aegon didn’t know what he would do if their daughter died. The thought sends shivers down his spine.

“Aegon,” Ned turned and stopped him before they got to Arya’s room, “Before you go in there I need you to take a deep breath.”

Ned held his gaze as Aegon slowly breathed out, “I’m fine,” he urged; he just needed to see Arya.

“Son,” Ned spoke with a bit of force, “You’re a man now, seeing as you’re about to be a father I think that constitutes you’re a man. With that said, men are supposed to be brave, even when they’re scared,” he looked down to the ground and said to himself quietly, “that’s when it’s most important,” he coughed, “anyways, when you go into that room you will no longer be a boy, you’re going to be the person Arya depends on, the only one who can share her fear, be there for her. You’re the man now, dry up your tears; those won’t do anymore.”

So, Aegon did exactly as he was told. He took a deep breath in an attempt to calm his nerves. And when he stepped into her room, he had his head square on his shoulders and a slight smile on his face. As soon as Arya saw him and her father she started sobbing.

“I’m so sorry,” she wailed, “It’s all my fault. None of this ever would’ve happened if I would’ve just told him the truth.”

Aegon walked over to her and sat on the bed next to her, taking her hand in his he said, “Never say that again, it wasn’t your fault.”

Ned and Cat looked at each other and decided it was best to give Arya and Aegon their privacy.

“We’ll be outside,” Ned announced, but was quickly met with a smack on the shoulder from Cat, “We’ll be down the hall,” he corrected.

Aegon and Arya were oblivious to her parents leaving the room, instead they were too focused on one another.

“This was my fault and you know it.”

“Arya, I’m not having this argument with you.”

“Just admit it, I should have told Gendry. It’s been weeks since we found out and he is my best friend.”

Aegon bit his lip with frustration, he had no reason to dislike Gendry except for the fact that he clearly was in love with Arya, but other than that the guy was decent. He wasn’t overly talkative, he worked hard, and he seemed to be pretty level-headed, except for when he’s angry. Aegon had never seen rage like that before, but neither had he seen someone with so much guilt in their eyes like Gendry had when he looked at Arya crying helplessly on the ground.

“Why didn’t you tell him?” Aegon asked.

She took a deep breath and twiddled with her hospital gown before replying, “Because I always imagined myself with Gendry.”

Aegon immediately ripped his hand from hers, he knew he was jumping to conclusions, but the anger was pulsing through him. Arya clearly felt bad because she couldn’t even fathom to look at him.

Her voice was shaky as she continued, “I’ve known Gendry my entire life. His dad is my father’s best friend, so he’s always just been around. We weren’t close when I was really little, but as I got older our interests aligned and once his family officially moved to Winterfell things just clicked. He was the first person, besides Jon, who really tried to understand me,” she felt embarrassed admitting that. She loved her family dearly, even Sansa, but she couldn’t help but feel judged by them.

“Just ‘cause you were friends doesn’t mean you and him were meant to be together.”

“We weren’t just friends. He was my best friend, I guess he still is,” she sighed just thinking about how close the two of them used to be brought tears to her eyes, what had happened to them, “I was 13 and he was 15 when I first started to feel things for Gendry, but he was always older and one day I caught him with Jeyne Poole and something just clicked in me that he’d only see me as the little girl he met and as nothing more.”

“And then you met me?” His tone had a bite to it.

“You’re talking like you were my second choice.”

“It’s starting to sound like it.”

“Aegon,” she scolded, she sounded like a mother and even though Aegon was uncomfortable with the conversation he still couldn’t help but smile at the thought of her being one. He’d spent hours daydreaming about her and Elia, how Arya would teach her to fence, sing her to sleep, hold her in her arms and whisper that everything is going to be okay. She may not know it now, but he has no doubt in his mind that she is going to be the greatest mother.

“The day I met you was the best of my life. You were like coming up for fresh air. I didn’t think about Gendry or Jeyne or my family or anything else, it was like the entire world stopped existing and it was just you and me. I’d never had that feeling before and something inside of me told me that this was right. You made me feel seen, Aegon,” tears were welling in her eyes, “No one had ever seen me before.”

He wiped away a tear on his cheek, “I’ll never doubt your love again,” he kissed her softly and they touched their foreheads to one another, when suddenly a thought came over him, “Marry me.”

“I already told you I would,” she laughed.

“No, let’s get married tonight.”

She practically pushed him off of her and looked at him with daggers in her eyes, “Are you kidding me, Aegon Targaryen? You want to get married, we’re not even out of high school.”

“She’s coming in a little under four months,” he pointed to her stomach, “And I’d rather she not be born out of wedlock,” he laughed, “But more importantly, Miss Arya Stark, today I could have lost both of you and I’ve never felt more scared in my life. What happened just made me realize that I don’t want to spend another day of my life without you being my family.”

“Pack,” she smiled.

“Pack?”

“Pack means family, you’re my family.”

“So, that’s a yes?” He toyed.

“Wipe that smug grin off of your face or it won’t be.”

Aegon simply laughed.

 

Arya and Aegon were enjoying their peaceful moment together when suddenly a hoard of Starks barged through her exam room.

“Arya, what the hell happened?” Robb practically screamed.

“Seriosuly, I get this frantic call from Sansa while I’m in the middle of class, are you okay, is the baby okay, what happened?” An exasperated Jon added.

Arya looked at her parents with wide-eyes, clearly annoyed that her siblings were berading her, and Ned simply mouthed ‘sorry’.

“I’m fine, Elia’s fine, there’s nothing to worry about. I just had a scare,” she skirted around the subject, much to Aegon’s displeasure.

“Arya,” Sansa chastised.

“I’m not going to throw him under the bus,” she said, jaw-clenched, and her hands were gripping her sheets so tightly that her knuckles were turning white.

“Who? Throw who under the bus?” Rickon asked.

“No one,” Arya answered.

Sansa turned around and announced to the entire room, “Gendry. It was Gendry. He confronted Arya about quitting fencing and when Aegon came over to defend her, Gendry lost it. I’ve never seen anything like it. You could see the fury in his eyes as he connected the dots about those two and push come to shove, he tried to punch Aegon but Arya got caught in the shuffle and fell into a herd of freshmen and one of them fell on her.”

“I am going to fucking murder him,” Robb said, voice as cold as ice.

“I swear to the old gods and the new that I am going to call Robert and make him wring that boy’s neck or I’ll do it for him,” Ned threatened. Normally stoic and calm in a storm, he became nothing but a viscious wolf when it came to his children, particularly Arya. He knew in his head that he shouldn’t have favorites but she was truly his favorite. She reminded him so much of Lyanna, even the day she was born he could see his late sister in her. And as she grew up and became more like Lyanna, Ned often feared she would share the same fate.

“Sansa,” Cat’s voice sounded like razor blades, “You never mentioned anything about Gendry when you called us.”

“I, I,” she stuttered.

“Sucks being the one on the witness stand doesn’t it,” Arya said under her breath and Aegon quickly gave her a playful smack on the back of her hand.

“I as just so worried about Arya that I didn’t think to mention it.”

“And you do now because you want to throw my best friend under the bus,” Arya spat back at her sister.

“Yeah, best friend who’s in love with you,” Sansa said under her breath.

“Gendry’s in love with Arya?” Rickon screamed.

“What?” Robb and Jon asked in unison, angry, protective, older brother mode was about to come on in full throttle. While everyone was focused on each other and the shock of Sansa’s comment, no one looked at Arya. Her face was white as a sheet and she held her breath, pulsing with fear.

She had told herself for years that he wasn’t in love with her, that he only thought of her as a friend. But now that she thinks about it, he had asked her to prom last year, they had that hiking trip near the wall where she could have sworn he was about to kiss her, not to mention the fact that they had been pretty much inseparable for the past few years. Yet she never considered that he was in love with her because she told herself he didn’t see her that way, better not to get your hopes up then to be left disappointed.

“Arya?” Sansa asked concerned.

“He’s in love with me, all this time he’s been in love with me,” shock expelling from her voice.

The chaos in the room died down immediately as everyone suddenly turned to look at a shocked Arya.

“Am I going to have to tell her or does anyone else want to take the reins here?” Sansa asked.

“I can’t believe she didn’t know,” Jon said to Robb quietly.

Arya’s voice cracked, “All this time he’s been in love with me,” and a smile broke across her face.

“Yes,” Aegon snarled. Everyone had forgotten he was even in the room, “Your best friend is in love with you, the one who I’m not supposed to be jealous of, the one you told me you were in love with.”

“What?” Her siblings all gasped.

Ned just put his head in his palms; he could not believe what he was hearing.

“You were in love with Gendry?” Jon asked.

“Are you still in love with him?” Robb added.

“No,” she snapped quickly, “I am not in love with Gendry. I love Aegon. I’m marrying Aegon.”

“But you were in love with him,” Robb drawled.

“I don’t know. Yes, no, maybe? He was my friend, he was kind, he understood me, so I thought I had feelings for him when nothing came of it I moved past it. End of story.”

“Would you rather be with Gendry?” Rickon, innocently, asked.

Arya hesitated to answer, “I don’t know,” she said truthfully. “I look at my life today and I couldn’t be happier. I’m in love and I have a daughter coming soon. If I could go back and tell Gendry how I felt who knows what would happen, maybe we’d lose our friendship, maybe we’d have gotten married. But when I think about my life these past two years, I couldn’t have gotten through them with just Gendry. Aegon saved me,” she was beaming at him.

“So that’s a no?” he questioned.

“Definitely no,” she laughed.

Arya leaned in to kiss Aegon.

“I’m still mad at you,” he whispered in her ear.

“No you aren’t,” she replied with a coy smile on his face and he knew that she had him wrapped around her finger because he could care less about what could have been with her and Gendry.

“Get a room,” Rickon mumbled, he was still too young to fully understand what was going on, but his little outburst caused everyone in the room to laugh.

“They’re going to take a lot of getting used to,” Jon joked.

“Well,” Arya announced, “You’re going to have to get pretty used to it because Aegon and I decided to get married.”

“Oh dear,” Catelyn exclaimed, the smile on her face was so wide she looked a bit creepy, “When did you decide this?”

“Aegon asked me a while ago, but I meant that he and I were going to get married today.”

For some reason, Arya knew just what to say to cause her family to stop talking, the room got so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

“Little wolf,” Ned began, “You had a scare today, maybe some rest will do you some good.”

“No,” she responded, “I don’t need rest. Today I could have lost my daughter. That put things into perspective for me. I want to marry Aegon in the Godswood, tonight. Please,” her voice begged as she looked at her father longingly. He couldn’t help but be transported to the past to see Lyanna’s eyes begging him to hide her son.

“Arya, it will take a little bit to get things organized. How about we have the ceremony on Friday?” Cat suggested. “That way, Aegon,” it still felt weird to call him that, “Can invite his family and they can make their way to Winterfell.”

“It’s only my parents, my aunt, and my brother,” he said quickly without thinking.

“Brother? There’s another Targaryen?” Jon asked exclaimed.

If it wouldn’t have been too obvious, Arya would’ve put her head in her hands and screamed at Aegon’s Freudien slip.

“Uh,” Aegon hesistated, “It’s a new development.”

“ _Could he sound more forced?”_ Arya thought, giving him a stern look, which he only replied with a shrug and a bit of a panicked look of his own.

“Ned, do you care to take this one?” Catelyn spat a bit too quickly.

“Will someone please tell us what the hell is going on?” Robb asked. He and the rest of his siblings could clearly see that Arya, Aegon, Ned, and Cat were holding something incredibly secretive in, “I’m so sick of secrets from you all. So let me repeat myself, what the hell is going on?”

No one spoke. Arya didn’t want to say anything, Aegon felt too awkward, it wasn’t Cat’s place. No, the person who was going to tell Jon about his parentage was going to be Ned. It had to be Ned.

“Jon,” Ned paused, “We need to talk.” He started to walk towards the door, “In private.”

“No,” Jon stood firmly, “We talk here. Anything you need to say to me you can say in front of my siblings.”

“Go Jon,” Arya warned.

“You know, don’t you?” He asked quietly.

“Yes,” she confessed, “Please. Don’t make father do this in front of everyone. “

Jon heeded her advice and followed a worried Ned out of the room and down the hall. Ned’s hands were nervously placed in his pockets where he was twiddling a quarter with his fingers, trying anything to distract him.

“You’re going to tell me who my mother is,” Jon started, “aren’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Why now?”

“Because now it’s safe,” he answered.

“What do you mean?”

“Jon,” Ned’s voice was level but still exuded fear, “I need you to wait for me to finish before you say anything.”

Jon nodded his head in agreement.

“Good,” he stated and began his story. “You’ve heard the story of Robert’s Rebellion,” Ned paused to confirm that Jon was listening. As he looked at the boy he called his son the past nineteen years, he couldn’t help but see Lyanna shine through him and when you looked closely, no one could deny Rhaegar’s presence either.

Jon wasn’t sure where his father was going with this story. He knew he had been born during the rebellion, but he had no idea why Robert Baratheon was pertinent to the story of who his mother is.

“You went to war, you found a random woman,” Jon started to speak.

“I told you to wait until I was done,” Ned scolded.

“Sorry.”

“Anyways, the rebellion was built on a lie.”

Jon couldn’t contain his shock.

Ned continued, “Rhaegar never kidnapped Lyanna, she went with him willingly. They got married and had a son together, but Lyanna died from birthing fever and Rhaegar at the hands of Robert.”

Jon was slowly putting the pieces together, “But what does this have to do with me?”

“I found Lyanna right before she died and I made her a promise that I have kept ever since. I was broken many oaths, destroyed my honor, and even lied to my king in order to keep her secret. I am a traitor, a liar, and dishonorable. But, I would do it all over again to protect you, Jon.” Ned put his hand on Jon’s shoulder, “I once told me you may not have my name, but you have my blood. That wasn’t a lie; you are not my son Jon. You are the son of Lyanna and Rhaegar.”

“Why are you telling me now?”

Ned sighed, “Aegon and his family started digging into the Lannisters and are planning on taking back their shares of Targaryen Corp. that have wrongfully gone to Joffrey. They have proof that Joffrey has no right to the Iron Throne and are going to start a lawsuit very soon. Ashara brought it to my attention and said that Dany and Aegon would want to include you.”

“This is unbelievable.”

“You’re still my son, Jon,” Ned assured, “I need you to know that.”

“Thank you.”

“I’ll give you a minute.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter will be out by next Monday


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> LAST CHAPTER AT HOSPITAL

Jon paced the halls of the hospital, he wasn’t sure where he was headed, but he needed to do something in order to clear his head.

Ned returned to Arya’s hospital room, sans Jon, with a look on his face that said not to ask about it. However, the Starks, being the ever so curious lot, ignored his clear discomfort and bombarded him with questions.

They had tried to press Arya, Aegon, and Cat earlier, but none of them would budge.

_“Come on,” Robb practically whined, “Why can’t you tell us what’s going on? You hid your pregnancy, you owe me this.”_

_“Robb,” Cat scolded, “Get a hold of yourself, you’ve gone your entire life without knowing, you can go a few more moments.”_

_“How long are you going to hold me not telling you about Aegon over my head?” Arya wondered._

_“Until the end of time,” her brother smiled back at her, “Or until you name me godfather.”_

_Arya looked away awkwardly, “About that.”_

_“Fuck, it’s Jon isn’t it?”_

_“Hey,” Rickon interrupted, “That’s not fair, what if I wanted to me godfather?”_

_“Me too,” Bran commented._

_“Well sucks for the lot of you, but I’m definitely going to be the godmother,” Sansa smirked._

_Again Arya looked away, “Arya,” Aegon stated, “You should probably tell her.”_

_Sansa’s hands were now placed firmly on her hips as her sapphire blue eyes bore into Arya’s, “Tell me what?”_

_Arya began to explain, “Well since I chose Jon as Elia’s godfather, it only seemed fair that Aegon get to choose her godmother.”_

_Sansa’s face was beginning to show understanding, albeit with a hint of disappointment, but understanding nonetheless; so Arya continued, “Anyways, her godmother is Aegon’s aunt, Daenerys.”_

_Sansa’s face turned red as a tomato, “The one who was in a relationship with the lacrosse coach for over a year? That’s who you’ve decided to be the godmother of your child, rather than your own sister?” Arya grimaced at Sansa’s outburst. The decision wasn’t a personal one and besides, what made Sansa assume that she would be chosen? The two of them weren’t friends; hell Arya didn’t even feel comfortable sharing the fact that she and Aegon were dating for years. Arya knew Dany, they weren’t best friends, but Arya knew she could trust Dany._

_Arya opened her mouth to defend her decision, but Aegon answered first, “You know who I am right?” He asked._

_“Is that supposed to be a rhetorical question,” Sansa spat, “Of course I know who you are, you’re Aegon Targaryen.”_

_Everyone in the room was confused as to where he was going with this, particularly Arya, “That’s my birth name, but I’ve been Griff Connington my entire life, Dany has never had that luxury. I could hide, pretend I wasn’t a Targaryen, ignore the destiny that my family had set up for me,” he paused, “the one that was stolen from me. But Dany has always lived in the shadow of her father, of being the last Targaryen.”_

_“Aegon,” Arya’s voice was oddly calming, but he ignored her and continued to berate Sansa._

_“She was exiled for her entire life because of,” he didn’t want to say it, she was exiled due to Lyanna, due to the Starks, the Baratheon’s, his father, “circumstances she was not a part of. She spent her entire life without any family, except her older brother who abused her. He was the one who sold her to Drogo while they lived in Essos when Dany was only fourteen.”_

_Cat shook at the thought, how could her own brother sell her off like cattle?”_

_“What happened to Viserys?” Robb interjected, “There hasn’t been word about him for years.”_

_“After he sold Dany to Drogo, Drogo realized she was too young. He had been promised a wife,” it was still common for arranged marriages to take place in Westeros and Essos, particularly for noble families like the Targareyns, but none ever took place between an adult and a child, “But Drogo was smart, he never told Viserys about his displeasure. So, he married Dany.”_

_“He what?” Rickon screamed._

_“She was only fourteen!” Bran added._

_“It wasn’t a real marriage,” Aegon calmed the panicked Stark children down, “He offered her protection. He promised to take her to Westeros, to help her reclaim what her family had lost, and to get her away from her brother. He took her to Mereen and after that he came to Winterfell, where he knew Viserys would never find them, and became the Lacrosse Coach. Dany and him lived together, they still do, but there’s never been anything sexual about their relationship. He’s like the older brother she deserved to have.”_

_“What happened to Viserys?” Bran asked._

_“He died less than a month after she left, poison from the Lannisters.”_

_“And Jorah Mormont?” Robb wondered, he had heard rumors of his and Daenerys’ relationship._

_Aegon responded, “Another father figure, who helped her escape her brother. He works as an informant for the company, so he was always there as a protector.”_

_“Her life sounds intense,” Rickon mentioned._

_“It was,” Aegon, conceded, “It still is.”_

_“I’m sorry,” Sansa, muttered, “I had no idea.”_

_“No you didn’t,” Arya spoke up, “But this is what you do, Sansa. You assume things? Who told you Dany was sleeping with Coach Drogo? Jeyne, probably.”_

_“It was a rumor,” Sansa defended._

_“And you’re always quick to believe them,” Arya stated._

_Tears formed in Sansa’s eyes, “Girls,” Cat warned._

_Arya put her hands up in frustration, “I’m sorry if she can’t handle the truth.”_

_“And what truth is that?” Robb asked._

_“Even if I were the one to pick who Elia’s godmother should be, I would not have picked you.” Arya was staring hard at Sansa._

_“Arya,” Cat yelled, “Apologize.”_

_“No.”_

_“Arya Lyanna Stark,” her mother’s voice was heading a warning, but she would not budge. Luckily the argument didn’t last too long because Ned walked in the door._

“Ned,” Cat’s voice was soothing as she went to approach her husband.

He didn’t say a word he just collapsed into his wife’s arms like a rag doll, much to the dismay of his children.

“Where’s Jon?” Robb asked. He was tired of waiting and he needed to see his brother.

“He’s still processing everything,” Ned answered.

“Well can you tell us what happened?” Rickon asked, “We’ve been dying.”

“Not until Jon comes back.”

“Why?” Sansa whined, “It can’t be all that important.”

“Sansa,” Ned’s voice was sharp as a whip, “I will not explain anything until all parties are here to explain themselves.”

Aegon and Arya just gave each other a look, that did not go unnoticed by Robb, “Hey,” Aegon whispered to Arya, “I’m gonna go and tell my parents everything’s okay while you guys handle this.”

She leaned into his touch a bit more, “Tell him he’s still a Stark.” And she smiled at him as he left the room.

Tracking Jon down was much more difficult than Aegon had anticipated. He checked the surgical wing, then billing, then radiology. Finally his luck turned when he spotted a brooding young man with thick, black curls, staring at the newborn babies.

“Fancy seeing you here,” Aegon joked, “Getting a little too excited for your niece?”

Jon didn’t even turn to look at him, “What are you doing here?”

“I know you know,” Aegon began, “Ned came back to Arya’s room looking worse for wear. So, I wanted to ask you how you were doing?”

“How do you think I’m doing?” Jon practically roared, “My entire life has been a lie. My father lied to me, my siblings, his wife and what for?”

Aegon’s hands started to ball into fists, the gall of this man, who is supposed to be his younger brother, to not appreciate what Ned Stark did for him. Aegon will never be Ned’s number one fan, because Ned and his sister were vital players in the destruction of his family. But he would always have respect for the most honorable man in Westeros, the man who challenged Robert Baratheon whenever he suggested killing Aegon or Daenerys, and most of all he’s the reason Arya exists. So the man deserves to be held with some esteem in Aegon’s books.

“He did it to protect you.”

“I wish he wouldn’t have.”

“No you don’t, Jon.”

“Jon,” Jon scoffed, “That probably isn’t even my real name.”

“Would it matter if it wasn’t?”

Jon didn’t reply.

“My name is Aegon, I’ve been called Aegon my entire life by my family. But when I go outside, I’m Griff. Having two names is difficult, but I was forced into it. You were given a choice.”

“No I wasn’t. I was given no choice in this matter,” Jon’s frustration was becoming more and more evident, “My life has never been my own.” His voice sounded so weak and broken.

“No one’s life is ever really their own,” Aegon explained, “We all have to live up to the expectations of our families, become the person they want us to be. I mean, look at Arya. We both know that she’d probably be in Braavos right now training with elite fencers, but because of familial duties she stayed here.” It was true; Arya did sacrifice many of her wants and desires because she was a Stark.

“Well aren’t you philosophical.”

“I understand that you’re upset, believe me, how do you think I felt when I found out about you?”

Jon hadn’t considered that, “I’m not sure,” he confessed.

“My father left my mother, created one-hundred percent of the conflict that destroyed my family all so he could date your mother. A teenager who was already promised to another, making you the son of the woman whose very existence made both my sister and me worthless in my father’s eyes. It was you he always wanted, the third head of the dragon,” Aegon’s words were laced with anger, “whatever the hell that means.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You stormed out before Ned got that far, didn’t you?”

Jon looked away shamefully, but nodded in agreeance.

“My father was obsessed with prophecies, while he lived he believed a great war was coming and that it’d be up to him and his three children to save Westeros. Since my mother was too sickly after giving birth to me, my father, instead of assuming that the prophecy was simply a story, decided to have a third child through whatever means necessary. Unfortunately, he chose the most complicated woman in Westeros to impregnate.”

“I’m sorry my very existence pains you so.”

“Jon,” Aegon tried to stop him, “Your existence doesn’t pain me. My father,” he paused, “Our father’s stupidity pains me. It’s hard not to get stuck on what could have been.”

“Aye.”

“But then again, if he wouldn’t have ran away with Lyanna, I may have never met Arya.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Maybe we were fated to be together, a Stark and a Targaryen will fall in love for every generation. Or maybe the timing was just right and I met a wild, she-wolf of a girl at my first fencing lesson, because I showed up fifteen minutes late to the football tryouts.”

“Fate or circumstance?” Jon added.

“Exactly.”

“I still haven’t processed this,” Jon admitted as the turned the corner to Arya’s room.

“I wouldn’t have expected you to.”

“But,” Jon hesitated, “I would like to meet Dany and be a part of whatever it is that you’re doing.”

Aegon stopped and turned to look at Jon, “You do know what that means, right?”

“I’d be a Targaryen.”

“We would be okay with you wanting to remain a Stark,” Aegon added, “There’s no pressure on our end.”

“I’m not a Stark,” his tone was venomous, “I’m a Snow, that’s all I’ve ever been.”

Aegon didn’t say anything else; he simply followed the now angry Jon back into Arya’s room.

“Finally, the prince that was promised,” Arya joked as Jon entered her room.

He rolled his eyes at her, “Stop,” he stated, “I don’t want to hear it.”

“Well, sucks to suck, Jonny Boy,” Robb said, “Father wouldn’t say a word about what he told you, argued that you should be here to defend yourself.”

“Me, defend myself?” Jon was completely unrecognizable right now. Sweat was lining his brow, one could hear the rising and falling of his chest, and his hair was completely disheveled, “You told them I had to defend myself?”

Ned looked away shamefully, “That’s not what I said.”

“Then what did you say, oh enlighten me, _father_?” He dragged the word father in such a way that when Ned heard it, it felt like nails on a chalkboard.

“You said all parities need to be here to explain themselves,” Rickon interjected.

“Go on,” Jon growled, “Since I’m here now you can explain yourself.”

“Jon,” Robb scowled.

“Robb,” Arya’s voice was calming, “Don’t.”

Robb conceded and Ned began to talk, “After the rebellion was over instead of going home, I went to Dorne.”

Everyone rolled their eyes at the story, it was common knowledge in the Stark household that Ned went to Dorne after the fighting was over and there is where he met Jon’s mother.

“So, you are going to tell us about Jon’s mother,” Robb exclaimed.

“Robb,” Cat scolded.

Sansa turned and looked at her mother who wasn’t upset at all. Her features were straight, eyes looking forward at her husband. They were full of neither pity nor malice, “Mother,” Sansa asked.

“Listen, dear,” she whispered quietly.

“There is no mystery as to who my mother is,” Jon argued, “If you’ve all listened for the past twenty years you’ve known. Arya is her spitting image.”

All heads turned to look at Arya while Jon continued, “Look at those two, they are exactly my parents twenty years in the future.”

Arya and Aegon felt embarrassed to be put on the spot like this, “Wait, wait, wait, father isn’t your father?” Robb asked.

Before Jon could answer, Ned spoke up, “No I am not Jon’s father. Jon is Rhaegar and Lyanna’s son.”

Lyanna, no one had ever heard Ned speak that name freely. She was the one skeleton he had in his closet, the very mention of her and her wild spirit would send him into a depressed daze, “I couldn’t save her,” he muttered under his breath, but his family still heard.

Suddenly Jon became sympathetic to his father, no uncle, “You did what you could,” Jon rested his hand on Ned’s shoulder.

Ned grabbed Jon’s hand with his own, “I truly am sorry, I only meant to protect you.”

“I know,” Jon agreed, “I know.”

“Can we finally get me out of this hospital room?” Arya angrily interrupted the ‘Hallmark Moment’, which was met with barrels of laughter from her entire family.

“Aye, little wolf,” Jon, agreed, “Someone has a wedding to get to.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wedding is 1 week away.

**Author's Note:**

> This story will be continued.


End file.
